High school given Strength of America Award

Fox Chapel Area High School is a new recipient of the Strength of America Award for the three-year period of 2021-24. The award is given by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and recognizes schools that have elite strength and conditioning programs. These schools exhibit the highest standards in the safety and success of young athletes and demonstrate excellence to teach, implement, and encourage safe and effective strength and conditioning programs.

According to a letter from Eric Mahon, the NSCA coaching and sport science program manager, the award shows the dedication Fox Chapel Area High School has to ensuring the safety of young athletes through the education and promotion of best practices when training on the field and in the weight room. “Your high school strength and conditioning program has achieved the NSCA’s high standards for providing athletes with the best opportunity to improve their athletic performance based upon level of supervision, program implementation, and the condition of your facilities,” Mr. Mahon said.

Fox Chapel Area High School’s program is led by social studies teacher and interscholastic strength and conditioning head coach Brandon Peifer. The school was evaluated in four major categories: supervision, education, program, and facilities. Fox Chapel Area High School was one of only 40 new and renewing schools, from hundreds of eligible schools from across the nation, to obtain the recognition this year. It is one of only two schools in Pennsylvania recognized this year.

Founded in 1978, the NSCA is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing the strength and conditioning related sport science professions around the world. It is composed of more than 60,000 members and certified professionals from around the world who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.